Virome analysis for identification of viruses associated with asymptomatic infection of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. edulis) in Colombia

Purple passion fruit, one of the most important fruit exports in Colombia, has been seriously affected in recent years by several viral diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the virome of asymptomatic purple passion fruit samples from commercial plots and nurseries in Antioquia (Colombia). The presence of viruses was first tested by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of bulked leaf samples using total RNA and dsRNA inputs. Interestingly, the HTS data suggested the presence of a new badnavirus with a genome of 6,951 bp, which was confirmed by DNA sequencing of rolling circle amplification products. This virus has been tentatively named Badnavirus passiflorae as it is the first report of a badnavirus infecting passion fruit. The presence of Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and Passion fruit yellow mosaic virus (PFYMV) was further investigated using RT-qPCR, as well as evaluated the infection by begomoviruses and badnaviruses through PCR. Using these techniques, B. passiflorae was detected in all the samples, PFYMV in 20% of adult plants and 10% of plantlets, and SMV in 20% of adult plants and 30% of plantlets. None of the samples tested positive for CABMV, CMV, or begomoviruses.